against him endeavouring to draw off others from the faith and knowledge of him pretending it to be but a fleshly carnal thing These indeed are the great destroyers of the faith and though so evidently pointed at by the Apostles that almost any that runs may read them to be the persons forespoken of by them yet being strongly deluded they do not see it for how then should the Scripture be fulfilled these threaten the falling away that is to precede the great day of the Lord and of his glorious coming and to make way for the revelation of the man of sin One might think there is no need to decipher them and warn you of them but their coming being in all deceivableness of unrighteousness and they transformed into ministers of Christ and righteousness creeping in so subtilly as to deceive if possible the elect there is great need to warn you of them and to exhort you to contend for the faith against them that it be not wholly subverted by means of them for these indeed subvert and pull it up by the very root and foundation promising men liberty and freedom from temptation they become their greatest temptation and lead them into bondage with themselves who also are the servants of corruption yea some there are that being yet further bewitched think and say that God is all things and all things God and so themselves are at least a part of him that sin is nothing but only a conceit or imagination that that is evil and to be avoided which indeed is not evil all things being alike pleasing unto God He the very being in all things that doth all things the soul and will of man are nothing distinct from him c. Doctrine so destructive to the very being of Saints that I hope none that are Saints indeed will indure to hear them And but that I see those that have attained much gone very far yet shaken inclined to and perverted by such as maintain them and so at least dangerously exposed to them I should have judged it needless once to have mentioned them Of these and of whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine be ye warned that ye be not snared by them knowing there were such foretold of marvail not that such there are but remember his admonition that hath said Go not ye after them Luke 15.27 to which end I shall further minde you of the way by which they draw in souls to them and what principles lay open people to be deluded by them Sect. 6 Of their way and subtilty in tempting THe Spirit of Error is in the Proverbs compared to a whorish foolish woman as the Spirit of truth is compared to a wise woman and called wisdom and the way of those that are possessed with it and that walk out in it is there set forth to the life Her lips drop like an hony comb they come with fair and enticing speeches to beguile simple souls She catches the simple man and kisses him and speaks pleasant language to him Pro. 7. They pretend much love and friendship to them they meet with whom they finde in a staggering unsetled condition through an itching ear straying towards them and going neer the corner of her house such as have some light and have met with some spiritual tasts and shines of goodness and seek after spirituall things but yet have not attained to be setled and grounded in it they meddle not so much with meer worldly carnall men because they savour not such temptations nor yet will they much trouble themselves with such as they finde setled and able to descry their way and decline it resolutely but such as are in the twilight between both that are double-minded and unstable in their wayes and are ready as they find to halt and stagger upon their onsets these they come with kisses to as desiring to be familiar with them and to help them to understand choice mysteries they tell them stoln waters are sweetâ— and bread eaten in secret is pleasant in diverting from the right way in which they are walking and in which the Saints generally have walked and relinguishing or despising the things of Jesus Christ the dainties in the house or Church builded by him the consolations openly in the woâ—… held forth to men they shall meet with other more mysterious and secret things which have more sweetness and pleasantness in them she tels of her bed prepared and adorned with Tapestry the sacrifices of peace offered and her bed perfumed with most precious Spices they tell them what peace and joy they have in their way what a pleasant resting place they have found what precious operations they meet withall that they have attained to a more full and perfect condition and are better fitted to entertain them with their gifts and experiences then while they had their hope springing from the knowledge and belief of Christ Jesus as one that without them died rose and ascended to mediate in behalf of them and while as thus known he was the hope of glory in them that then they could not meet with that peace and joy and those satisfactions that now they meet with that he was but a fleshly Christ and he is gone but now they have a spiritual Christ always with them yea that they are He that they speak to them out of love and desire that they may solace themselves together with them in their liberty and rejoycing take their fill of love on the bed or in the state and way that they have found rest in in a word they do as Satan at the first in the Serpent to Eve he came and told her of a higher and a better condition then what God made them in ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil and as those deceivers in 2 Pet. 2.19 They promise them liberty and greater glory come say they you think to have life in another and that by the death Resurrection and mediation of Christ without you ye beleeving on him shall be saved you trust in a person that was born of a woman a man c. You think to live by faith in him but alas you live low and carnally that was but a fleshly Christ that you think of and lean on he is dead long since if such a one there ever was and the faith of his disciples in him died with him so some have not shamed to write but we have Christ in the Spirit and mystery you know him but after the flesh we after the Spirit yea the Christ are we for Christ is nothing else but God with us that is the divine nature in us we are the humanity and other body or humanity we know or beleeve not you also look for your happiness and glory hereafter that Christ shall visibly come again and then ye shall inherit glory with him your bodies being raised by him But we have our glory here already we are already risen and have heaven within
them and bought them and that he willingly condescended to out of his love to them but now these crucifie him again to themselves and put him to more grief as it were by their wicked and wilful departings from him and so in the most hainous sort ill requite and deny him Nay they are said to trample him under foot and count the pretious bloud of the Covenant by which they Were sanctified a common thing and to do despite to the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10.2.9 That bloud that was the bloud of God pretious bloud not to be reckoned amongst corruptible things as silver and gold Acts 20.28 1 Pet. 1.18,19 that they account as prophane or common ordinary blood nothing better then the bloud and sufferings of an ordinary man and whatever the Spirit speaks therethrough they despightfully and reproachfully blaspheam so great is their sin and he tells us their punishment is like to equalize it for they in so sinning put themselves besides the benefit of Christs sacrifice there remains no longer any sacrifice for them that can make in their behalf any expiation Heb. 10.26 thy have neither Father nor Son to be their protection or to afford any safety to them 2 Joh 9. Whatever they may dream of taking Satan for their glorious God and King and his delusions for lighâ— and consolation and however they may boaâ—… of God yet God they have not he is no way ingaged by any Covenant or Promise now tâ— them they having trod Christ under foot anâ— wickedly departed from his bloud and from hiâ— Doctrine they bring upon themselves swift distraction 2 Pet. 2.1 and the very blackness of darkness is reserved for them for ever Jude 12. though now they talk of greater light and Satan make them as Wandring Comets Jude 13. having 〈◊〉 fixed abiding station in the Son of God nor filled with the divine beams of his Light yet they must go out in darkness yea into the blackness of it the most horrid darkness the worst and depth of misery must be their portion this is the end and will be the issue of their delusion thither tend the steps of this whorish woman or spirit of error her house inclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead Pro. 2.20 Yea the dead are there and her guests are in the depth of hell Pre. 9.18 I will not here run into any curious search oâ— discourse about hell what it is it is sufficient to know that it is and will be a state of unspeakable horror torment misery and confusion in which men shall partake with the wicked one and his Angels in the weight heaviness and everlastingness of their destruction in the depth of which the Spirit of God â—ells us are the guests of the foolish woman the spirit of Error opposed to the Spirit of Truth called Wisdom I will not say nor do I think that all have been â—…ibling at these baits of Satan and parlying with him in these temptations nor that all that have through weakness been overtaken and catched in some degree of them are irrecoverably gone into this condition no some such may be pulled either by compassion or by fear and dread as brands out of the sire Jude 22,23 and God may be merciful unto them because they did it in weakness and through violence of temptation but all that willingly yield up themselves hereunto and persist therein till they be one with Satan and his Instruments are like to partake with them in the blackness of their portion and to have their latter end Worse then their beginning 2 Pet. 2.20,21 Sect. 8. Who are in danger to be snared herewith and by What steps THere are divers sorts of people in more speciall danger to be snared with these deceits and they that are snared are carried to the heigth of it by divers steps worthy our noting It s good indeed for every one to be cautelous and not secure yet there are some in greater danger then others and that are more usually taken in it In general all such as have not thâ— Word of God abiding in them or so rooted and deeply entred with understanding intâ— them as to dwell in and keep them through temptations as is noted Matth 13.19 such 〈◊〉 the Word had not root in fall away in a time 〈◊〉 temptation for indeed it s the power of Goâ— that keeps men and that keeps us by Faith aâ—… Faith is not but of the Word of God so thâ—… letting go the VVord is the departing frâ—… Faith and the departing from that is the beiâ—… loosed from that saving Power of the Spirit 〈◊〉 God Now all they in whose hearts the VVorâ— hath but a little superficial place their hearts being stony so as they give not through and intiâ—… credit to it are soon loosed from it and so 〈◊〉 great danger of falling and this Peter implieâ— 2 Pet. 3.16 when he saith They that are unlearned and unstable unlearned he means not 〈◊〉 Arts Sciences and Languages which suffice noâ— to this business but that are but smatterers dâ—… of hearing not of understanding in the Mysteriâ—… of God or in the Word of his Truth and whoâ—… hearts are unstable and unsetled not throughâ— perswaded but halting between two opinionâ— easily blown away and removed these wâ—… the Scriptures to their own destruction and fiâ— away into the error of the wicked and so inâ—… perdition More particularly 1. Such as are slothful in the VVord of Goâ— that cry not for wisdom that give not diligent â— eed to understanding that follow not after God with earnestness but neglect that great â—alvation set before them and of which they have â—ad some views and nigh drawings to them such â—s take not up well pleasedness in Jesus Christ â—hat way of Gods appointing nor have pleasure 〈◊〉 the Truth Knowledge is not sweet unto â—hem and so not heartily cleaved to by them â—or fruitful in them they receive the Grace of God in vain in that regard rest in the form â—nd in some illuminations and tasts but give not â—iligence to atrain the power of it they add â—ot in their Faith Vertue force or efficacy and 〈◊〉 that Knowledge or a further growing up into â—he Knowledge of Christ and his Truth and to â—hat Temperance and sobriety c. but abiding â—arren and unfruitful in that Knowledge and â—rofession of Christ that they have in a time of â—emptation they fall off and wither are lopt off from the Vine and men gather them into their â—ocieties and perverse wayes and doctrines strong delusions take with them that they might be damned that had pleasure in unrighteousness and not in the Truth the righteous Truth of God that they might be saved 2. Such as believe not upon the VVord and its faithfulness but upon their sensible feelings and visits whose faith is built upon sense more then upon the Authority and Power of Gods Word thus the Israelites of old who had maâ—… sensible experiences of Gods
might willingly be exhorted to this â—s not to bear with them that are evil and would pervert souls from Christ so neither to fall out â—nd make rents from those that are built upon â—nd sincerely and peaceably seek the glory of Christ Sect. 4. How to walk towards Seducers and the Secuced 3. BUt now for those that have not Christ for their foundation but are bottom'd upon their own works yea and would bottom Christ â—pon them too hindring souls from coming â—…ghtly to Christ and that bring another Gospel then that of Christ tending to deny and overthrow the Gospel of Christ but chiefly those that have apostatized from him the case is otherwise They that divide from Christ the elder Brother are not to be owned as brethren but divided from yea and looked upon in their endeavors to draw others to themselves as enemies to our souls Wolves that come to devour deceitful workers and so we are to avoid them The Apostles looked not upon the zealous Jews and Pharises opposers of the grace of Christ as their brethren in Christ nor upon the false Apostles that perverted the Gospel of Christ mixing it with the Law and withdrawing men from the sincerity of the Gospel of Christ much less those Apostates and Blasphemers Hymeneus and Alexander and Philetus men that denied the Resurrection and affirmed it to be now made or past denying the Lord that bought them and subverting the faith of divers 2 Tim. 2.16,17 If such as these plead for a brothers portion of love from the Saints in those their wayes they are much mistaken brotherly love with them would be as bad as Jehosophats familiarity and correspondency with Ahab which the Lord reproved and punished in him 2 Chron. 19 2. And as the Churches tolerating the Baalamites and Nicolaitans which he hated Rev. 2.14 20. Men are much out in thinking that those that are evidently and upon due trial false Apostles and of the Synagogue of Satan ought not to be so reputed but walked towards and loved as dissenting Brethren How shall the members of the body hold unity with the head that are at one with members separated from the head and disclaim all influence of spirits from it Who ever come unto us we are to try them yea though they come as Angels of Light and Messengers of Righteousness and finding them deceitful workers to beware of them 1 Thes 5.21 Phil. 3.2 So the Wisdom of God speaking of â—he spirit of error under the notion of a foolish and whoorish woman opposed to the Spirit of Truth under the notion of Wisdom or the wise â—oman bids us beware of her and come not neer â—he corner of her house Prov. 5.8.3 nor give ear â—o her sweet and specious inchantments not to â—ut our selves â—…shly into her way and company 〈◊〉 presuming on our own strength to preâ—…rve us much less entertaining her as a friend â—nd companion meet for us and our Saviour while on earth in the flesh left it as a Caâ—…at to us to beware of false Prophets who though â—hey come in Sheeps clothing to us yet inwardly are â—…vening Wolves and seek to devour us Matth. â— 15 He would not have us out of charity to â—…dge all sheep and correspond with them that â—ome to us in the appearance of sheep but wariâ—… try them and discerning Wolves in that haâ—it to flee from them as we are not rashly to account and walk towards all as Wolves that men account so so neither to imbrace all that profess themselves sheep I know the VVolves will plead for charity towards them but what foolish Shepherd would out of charity listen to the VVolves so pleading or what silliness would it be in real sheep to joyn themselves with â—hem because they pretend as sheep a desire to graze with them that 's bad charity to another that layes me open to destruction my self The Jews of old regarded not such a pretended charity in Sanballat and Tobiah desirous to build with them the Temple of the Lord because they discerned them to be no friends to their work but sought by subtilty to hinder it and destroy them Ezra 4.1 It s indeed the common plea of such and of some weak sheep of Christ who are in danger that way to be worried by them what ever a mans principles be yet we ought to permit them and not speak harshly or at all against them but let every man injoy his own minde which is a notorious gross and false position Indeed as we have said where men build and are built upon the same foundation even Jesus Christ there we may and are to tolerate difference in doubtful disputations where the matters of difference are not evident and plain in Scripture and but matters of meer indifferency and lesser moment But that all should be tolerated in the Church of God of what ever opinion and doctrine though destructive to the fundamentals of the faith and no sharpe reproof may be given them is as bad a principle as to tolerate the Devil in his possession of men oâ— to tolerate all vice and wickedness without 〈◊〉 punishment of them yea in â—oâ—…e casâ—s 〈…〉 worse for there are some pâ—…nciples 〈…〉 doctrine as bad or worse then any evil of practise amongst men because some doctrines may naturally lead to all evil practises As that there is no difference to be put between good and evil sin and righteousness that all actions are alike approveable to God the opinion of good and evil is to be destroyed out of men that sin is nothing but an imagination that this or that is sin that all men live or believe how they will shall have eternal salvation that there shall be no resurrection c. Beside that evil doctrines may poyson more secretly and are less dreaded oftentimes then gross actions because they have â—ot so horrid an appearance many times to the eye of men We find Christ commending some Churches for their patience when yet he presently subjoyns by way of praise too that they â—ould not bear evil persons Rev. 2.2 such as seduced the people from him faulting them that bare with and permitted them Revel 3.15,16 yea that were but lukewarm for him and against them as those that mattered not what men hold or teach how destructive to Christ and Christianity so they would think well of them and let them alone such Christ threatens to spue out of his mouth so far is he from allowing and approving them Yea he tels us he hates such wayes himself Rev. 2.6 and sure he leads his people to be like him How canst thou say Christ is in thee when what he declares himself to hate is patiently tolerated and not reproved by thee The Apostles not onely bid us hold them as execrable and account them accursed that preach beside what they have preached or that introduce another Gospel though they come like Angels but they have also themselves given them over to Satan 1 Tim 1.20 and
Son Jesus Christ Acts 14.15 as the fountain of and the proper way to that life and salvation See the sum of it in 1 Tim. 2.5,6 That there is one God and one mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus Who hath given himself a ransome for All as an evidence of Gods good will to All that he would have all men to be saved and to come to know the truth This ye are to hold forth unto men that there is a God to be adored worshipped submitted tâ— trusted in and served the author of our life and breath and all things the fountain of bliss and happiness and that this God is one in Essence mind purpose faithfulness and so that All other powers that the Heathens have fancied and adored are Idols vanities and confusion all things empty and too weak to save or satisfie besides him that eternal life and happiness consists in the true knowledge and enjoyment of him And yet this unity of the Godhead is so to be held forth that the Trinity therein also may be acknowledged otherwise men shall not rightly apprehend or worship him according to the Christian Faith and Doctrine Concerning which let me a little declare my mind to you though it may seem a Digression because mens errour hereabout I find to be often an inlet to many other evil false conceptions I know some make that Trinity or threefoldness in the Divine being but only a threefold denomination of the same personal subsistence and that there is no other distinction between Father Word and Spirit but only in that diversity of denomination which appears to be an evident falshood in this that by the same rule that God the Father Word and Spirit is called three because they are three denominations He might be called seven or ten or more there being many other denominations in the Scripture given to him as Jehovah Lord of Hosts Jah Elohim Ehjeh Eloah Adonaâ— the Almighty and divers others but yet he is not said to be so many as he hath denominations given him in any part of Scripture Besides different denominations of the same person or personal subsistence may be convertibly predicated of one another as where the same man is Father and Son Husband and Master and Magistrate in divers respects there it may be said the Master is the Father and the Father is Governour c. but so it cannot be said of these three the Father the Son and the holy Ghost The Scripture never says the Father is the Son or the Father is the holy Ghost or the holy Ghost is the Father or the Word or Son is the Father though God is a Spirit and Christ an everlasting Father in regard of us yet not the Father of the only begotten Son nor is the Father the Spirit sent by the Father and yet these three are but one and the same God A great mysterie it is I confess and such as passes expression fully to declare and open yet a truth it is that the Scriptures many ways attest both in the Prophetical and Apostolical writings Moses hints it in speaking of God plurally and yet joyning that plural word with a singular verb as when he says Elohim Bara the Gods or the Mighties he created Heaven and Earth c. And again Nahashu let us make man in our Image plurally and yet by and by he changes the phrase and speaks in the singular number God or the Mighties made man in his Image with which agrees divers other phrases as that in Psal 149.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let Israel rejoyce in his makers and that in Eccles 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember thy Creators in the days of thy youth and the like in Job 35.10 and yet more fully in 2 Sam. 7.23 what one people in the earth is like to thy people Israel whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbatim The Gods went to redeem to himself The words that we translate God and went being both of the plural number and yet the prâ—noun relative that is added is singular to himself not to themselves The two former words plainly intimating the plurality in way of subsistence and the singular pronoun the unity in Essence which also is held forth in Gods appearing unto Abraham in which he appeared as three men and Abraham sometimes speaks to him as one and sometime in the plural number as to more Gen. 18. Whence some Hebrew Doctors have also written thus upon the word Elohim which is usually translated God See Ainsw in Gen. 1. Come and see the mysterie of the word Elohim there are three degrees and every degree by it self alone and yet notwithstanding they are all one and joyned together in one and are not divided one from another These places with divers others as to instance one more that in Deut. 6.5 Hear O Israel the Lord thy Almighties is one Lord intimate a plurality in unity but other places express that plurality to be a Trinity or threefoldness in unity as that in Psalm 33.6 By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host thereof by the breath of his mouth or by the Spirit of his mouth for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both So that there we have mentioned the Lord Jehovah his Word and Spirit as the like we may see also in Isa 42.1,2 Behold my servant whom I uphold which is spoken of the word made Flesh Jesus Christ Mat. 12. who though he was in the form of God and counted it no robbery to be equal with him yet emptyed himself and came in the form of a servant Phil. 2.6,7 c. Mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have pat my spirit upon him c. there is the Father held forth under that word I my he whose servant Christ became and whose elected and delightful Son he is and there 's the Son as before was noted and the Spirit of the Father put upon him The like expressions of the Trinity sce again Isa 11.1,2 and 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me there is the Lord Jehovah the Father and Me that is the Word as incarnate and made flesh and the Spirit or holy Ghost put upon Christ which things are yet more clearly opened in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles as is to be seen in Mat. 3.17 where we have this Trinity distinctly named Christ baptized the holy Ghost descending upon him visibly in the appearance of a Dove and the Father speaking out of heaven and owning him for his beloved Son Here was more then a threefold denomination of one personal subsistence the Father and Son here are plainly distinguished for he says not of himself I am the beloved Son but of Christ this is my beloved Son c. In 2 John 3. he is distinguished plainly from him Grace and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father c. See the like in Col.
A CAVEAT TO All True Christians Against the spreadings of the Spirit of Antichrist and his subtile endeavours to draw men from JESUS CHRIST Propounded to them by J. Horn one of the unworthiest of Christs servants in his Gospel a Preacher thereof in South Lin Norfolk Together with some brief Directions for their orderly waâ—…ings Prov. 19.27 Cease my son to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge Prov 7.25,26,27 Let not thine heart decline to her ways go not astray in her paths For she hath cast down many wounded yea many strong men have been slain by her Her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death 1 John 2.24,25 Let that therefore which ye have heard from the beginning abide in you if that which ye have heard from the beginning abide in you ye shall continue in the Father and in the Son And this is the promise which he promised us even eternal life London Printed by R.W. for T. Brewster and G. Moule and are to be sold at the three Bibles at the West-end of Pauls 1651. TO The Vertuous and Religious Gentlewomen M rs Jane Desborow wife to the Honorable Major General John Desborow M rs Alice Toll wife to the Right Worshipful Mr. Thomas Toll Esquire and M rs Judith Cook wife to the Right Worshipful Col. Thomas Cook of Bebmarsh in Essex Esquire Grace Mercy and Peace in Jesus Christ Much beloved in the Lord IT is the Councel of the Apostle John not to believe every spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God And sure there is now as much need of this counsel as ever because there are diversity of Spirits and Prophets gone out into the world and all pretend to God but all confess not that is magnifie not or lead not to exalt Jesus Christ come in the flesh but divers of them deny or undervalue that by which it is manifest that they are not of God to those that duly try them but that they are of that spirit of Antichrist of which we have heard that it should come into the world And truly though it be an heavy judgement of God to order such a spirit of error to enter into and amongst men and men to be possessed and acted by him yet if the matter be well and duly considered it will appear a just and righteous judgement and may afford us much matter of warning For wherein hath or could God have testified or commended his love more to the world then in giving forth his only begotten Son to be believed on and to that end to be delivered to death for our offences and become the propitiation for our sins and being raised again and glorified to hold forth in and through him unto us an immeasurable fulness of glory and salvation And what might God look for and challenge at our hands for so great goodness less then all possible thankfulness and most chearful ready receit of and submission to him but alas how contrary are the returns that he findeth from men What is there that is so little regarded and so much neglected as this his Son what so little received and fed upon by men Is not the preaching of the Cross of Christ become foolishness again not onely to the rude and prophane or to the Pharasaical that establish to themselves a righteousness of their own but which iâ— the most to be lamented to such as have tasted of his goodness and had him livelily set â—orth to them even many such have crucified â—im to themselves afresh and have not obeyed the truth so far as to cleave with stedfast purpose of heart unto him Many that have received the â—tdings of Christs Death and Resurrection for them as sometimes the Israelites the Manna with joy and admiration have with them also after a while grown weary thereof as if it was a light bread and their souls have loathed him and lusted after some other thing to feed upon that might more puff them up in themselves and give more sensual satisfaction And alas how few are there who are not more or less tainted with this infection as if there was not an enoughness in Christ his Death Sacrifice and Mediation for them to feed upon Now what more just with God then that his so great love being so abrogated and so nothing set by should turn to jealousie and that he revenge the injury done unto his Son and to himself with the heat of indignation by sending to them as to the Israelites for their offence fiery Serpents Numb 21. spirits of error and of delusion that because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved but had pleasure in their unrighteousness in disesteeming so great a witness of love and not in the truth therefore the efficacie of error should infatuate them and carry them headlong into destruction the abuse and contempt of greatest love deserving to be revenged with the severest condemnation But alas where the spirit of Error hath gotten rooting how many are there so strongly giddified therewith that they make but a mock of these things and think there is no other hell but what here befals them throwing up the whole Christian Faith by the very foundation A piteous and much to be bewailed mischief which cals for not onely our best endeavours by Prayers and Supplications and faithful Instruction to prevent its spreading but might also challenge in many the Magistrates inspection that as of late they have worthily made an Act to prevent and punish Blasphemy against God so they might endeavour to stop the over-free spreading of Blasphemy against Christ by the like provision But for that it s our business to pray God rightly to direct them and that none of them that should discountenance such evil be either tainted therewith themselves or so far destitute of that spiritual Eye-salve as not to have thereof a right discerning As for your parts Worthy Friends I hope you have received so much of that holy Unction as hath helped you to understand the wiles of Satan so that I may say to you as the Apostle in 1 Joh. 2.21 I write not to you because ye know not the Truth but because ye know it and that no lie is of the Truth both blessing God that he doth keep you in so evil a day and praying for you that yet ye may be filled with the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding and so more abundantly anointed with that spiritual Eye-salve that ye may be further able to discern things that differ and so be kept for even And indeed I know no better thing that I can wish for you then that for where that is not I know not what else can preserve men For Satan coming not in his own colours but disguised as an Angel of Light not as an enemy but as of old the Serpent as a friend that will shew the way to a more happy and glorious
withdrawn from Christ so he and his Death and Mediation be but as a dead thing to them he greatly cares not how speciously they walk and talk they are the fitâ—… instruments for him I would to God there wâ—… not too many yea and Teachers of others toâ— to whom he hath made Christ come in the fleâ—… as worth nothing to whom a piece of Plaâ—… Philosophy or some dream of their own is 〈◊〉 more worth and use then the Apostles Dâ—ctrine Sect. 5. Of the Messengers of Satan NOw though I have hitherto spoken of Satan and his subtilty yet think not that I conceive that he alwayes cometh alone or in his own person immediatly to tempt but know this that as Gods Spirit hath built himself an House in man even his people Christ and his members by whom he speaks and works to the drawing in others to God and edifying themselves in whom he dwels imploying them to be his mouth in the opening of his counsel and truths to those purposes So also Satan insinuating himself into men hath his dwelling in them and becomes a lying evil spirit in them that he prevails over and makes use of them to be his mouth to deceive one another and to draw in others into unity with them making them his messengers and these imitate him in transforming themselvs into Ministers of righteousness 2 Cor. 11.13.15 These are the Dragons Tail with which he draws down the stars of heaven having seduced these out of the way he makes them instruments to seduce others after him as having seduced Eve he used her as an instrument to lead Adam also into the transgression So some of the Spies of Canaan bringing an evil report upon that good Land caused many to mutiny and so in Numb 16. Corah Dathan and Abiram men of renown and famous in the Congregation falling off from the Word of God and rebelling against Moses and Aaron the types of Jesus Christ the Son of God the Prince and high Priest of the Congregation occasioned many to rebel for company with them Concerning such its needfull as the Apostle Jude saith to warn you and wish you to contend earnestly against them foâ— the faith once delivered to the Saints for theâ—… are now as was then foretold false Teachers ungodly men forewritten to this judgment to be for exercise unto the Saints of God men thâ—… have departed from Christ denying the Lorâ— that bought them even the only Lord God anâ— our Saviour Jesus Christ and turning his Graâ—… into wantonness who by their pernicious doctrines and practises draw many souls into perdition And though there be others too that 〈◊〉 from the faith and do great disservice to Chrâ—… in limiting the tenor of the Gospel and puttinâ— in their Buts and Onelies like the believers 〈◊〉 the Sect of the Pharisees that would not havâ— the Gospel preached but to Proselytes and mâ—… of the Circumcision that they had some ground to think were of the Elect people yet my puâ—pose is now rather to warn you of that otheâ— sort of people because you that are Saints iâ— Christ and live upon his grace are in more danger as I conceive of these then of those Of these I say that have forsaken the pathes of uprightness to walk in the wayes of darkness men that have let go the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles to walk in their own speculations making the Apostles to have been devisers of Apologues and fables in which there was no truth or verity but only a shadow and parable of another thing people that indeed deny the Lord Jesus Christ some that there was never such a one others that he was no more then a bare man a patern an example not the Saviour of the world indeed but only a type and figure of the true Saviour so evacuating him and denying him to be their Lord Ruler and Commander or Mediator between God and men turning all into an Allegory or vain fancy undermining and subverting the faith of Christ as if he were but a fleshly Christ and the faith in him though begotten by Gods Spirit but a carnall faith which must die and be crucified in us before we come indeed to that that saves us and so they teach men to cast away their confidence in him and trample upon him and count his blood and sacrifice a common carnall fleshly thing though it hath formerly sanctified them and to say of him whom God hath sanctified and sent into the world yea in whom it hath pleased him that all fulness should dwell as the sons of Belial sometimes of Saul how can this man save us crâ—cifying the Son of God to themselves blotting out as much as in them lieth his remembrance from amongst men putting in the place of him some frame or fancy that they conceive they have in themselves and investing themselves or it with his name these are indeed the Antichrists thâ—… deny directly that Jesus is the Christ for who 〈◊〉 a lyar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ 〈◊〉 that say of themselves I am Christ we are the holy one of God and Christ is nothing else with them but themselves and who ever are of their temper in union as they conceive with Godâ— deriding the man Jesus Christ the Lord and heaâ— of all and so making the faith of Christ a very scorn and derision with all that beleeve it these are of those very persons in whom while they slight the Scriptures the Scriptures are verified the mockers that should say in the last dayes where is the promise of his coming for what was is and there is no new thing under the Sun all things continue in like state ever since the Fathers fell asleep as He came then so now and so shall do but no other coming is to be expected yea these are of them that say the Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is now done or is already past they have it or expect to have in this life even on this side their bodily Death all they shall have denying the Resurrection of the personal body of Christ the same that was crucified such of them as confess there was such a man or at least that it was taken up into heaven and glorified or shall ever come again to be made manifest in glory with them that have beleeved on him and suffered for him the resurrection of whose bodies is denied by them also These are the Antitypes to those Rebels in the wilderness that pleading that all the Lords people were holy denyed the superiority of Moses and Aaron for these also being seduced from the head and not holding it fast plead that all that are of them are holy and anointed and so the Christ and deny superiority over them to the Lord Christ and refuse to have him exalted above them yea though they have been baptized into him both in the doctrine of him and otherwise and have tasted of his sweetness yet they rebell
beginning concerning your estate as in Christ and therein minde what incouragements there are prepared and given us to keep on still our way not letting our hands hang down or our hearts fail us It s true the warfare is sharp the enemies many cruell powerfull subtile and we in our selves but as grashoppers in compare of them yet Rebel not we against the Lord our God who hath out of Egypt the darkness of this world called us hath led us through a Sea of wrath and tryals and hitherto conducted us and given to some of us of the first fruits of the Land to taste on look unto Jesus the Author or leader in and finisher of our faith and then behold there are yet more with us in this our pilgrimage then there are aguinst us the shout of a King is amongst us and Greater is he that is in and among us then He that is in the world against us There we have the Lord God for a Sun and shield and He will give grace and favour to support strengthen and guide us and glory to reward and crown us and no good thing if we walk uprightly before him will he withhold from us Psal 84.11 He hath said He will stand by us and be shield and buckler to us he will watch his vineyard to defend and keep it by day and by night Isa 27.2,3 Therefore fear we not only follow after him and he will order all well for us and shew us his goodness and salvation Only Rebell not we against the Lord nor willingly withdraw our selves from him and he will secure us Be strong in his might and power which he gives unto us in Christ and we shall not need to fear what flesh can do unto us or what principallities and powers can do against us For if God be for us as he is who shall be against us Rom. 8.31 Provoke we not him against us by departing from him through an unbelieving heart and then his alone presence with us will drive out our adversaries before us and bring us to the possession of our heavenly inheritance even of all the blessing to which he hath called us we have in Christ as well provision for our way as possession at our journeys end It is God that justifies us in him and owns us as his Saints who is it then that shall lay any thing against us Rom. 8.33 Who is he that condemneth us in comparison of him that takes part with us to clear us what are our own corruptions within us and Satan and all the world against us to oppose us so long as God is on our side to uphold us There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 and 7.20,21,23 Though Sin dwell in them and often carry them captive to what they would not and impede and hinder them in the good they would so long as they sow not to that Sin yield not up themselves to the flesh to walk after it but after the Spirit Christ that hath died and rose again is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for them for help and succour yea he is mediating the new Testament for them that they might not fail of the promised inheritance Heb. 9.15 In the strength of God then and of his Love in Christ Jesus already testified to us let us go on in his way putting his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his whole Armor upon us so shall we be able to stand against the brunt of these temptations and get victory over all that do encounter us God hath not called us to this warfare at our own charges he will maintain us nor sends he us naked against so potent powers or leaves us to our weakness to provide our selves weapons to defend us His Name shall be Protection to us In Christ he hath therein also compleated us only put we on what he hath prepared for us and in his preparation we shall find sure strength and victory and none shall harm us It was a great evil in Ephraim that being harnassed they turned their backs in the day of battel Psal 78. having Gods Promises to them and Presence with them for their safety yet not to cloath themselves with such salvation not to go on in so good harness to the portion given them O let it not be any of our follies as it would be so much the greater in us by how much we are the better accomplished after the same example to be foyled and baffled out from the promised Rest which yet remains for us and by believing shall be possessed by us Sect. 2. Of the Spiritual Armour Ephes 6. THat we might be induced not to desist but go on vigorously against our spiritual enemies I shall briefly propound the consideration of the Armor of Light and Righteousness that God hath made ready for us in Christ in putting on and resisting in which no evil shall reach us the Apostle hath laid down the several peices of it to our hands with an exhortation to make use of them Ephes 6.13 Put on therefore the whole armor of God the girdle of Truth thâ— Breast-plate of Righteousness c. 1. The girdle of Truth Let the Truth of God cleave close unto us as girdle about our loynâ— let not it or what it brings unto us to gird up the loyns of our minds and to make our hearâ— true sincere and upright be neglected by us Drink we in the love of it that we may delighâ— in it and it may strengthen and preserve us where the Truth of God is slighted and noâ— prized men will easily part with it and imbraâ—… error though they perish for it yea God aâ— hath been noted often punisheth the not receiveing in the lone of the Truth so as to be saved by is with giving them up to strong delusions that they might be damned 2 Thes 2.10,11 The Hypocritâ— in heart will surely be snared that very secreâ— evil that makes him not down-right for thâ— Truth will betray him to Satan and delusioâ— when he presents baits suitable to it Buy thâ— Truth therefore and sell it not Prov. 23.23 whâ—… we see once to be truth that keep fast and it will keep us Let it be in our inward parts and it will preserve us The Spirit of truth will insinuate it self into us and lead us into all Truth and Error and Delusion shall have no power over us He will present that in the truth even in Christ truly declared to us that will tie and binde us up unto God and set us free from the power of Satan and his seducements and that 's freedom indeed put we away guil and hypocrisy then that we may the more earnestly covet after and drink in the Word of Truth the sincere milk of the Word that we may grow therein The promise of defence is to the upright-hearted that inwardly and sincerely love the Truth yea the Truth it self shall be their defence we cannot defend
the Truth so much as it will defend us His Truth shall be thy Shield and Buckler Psal 91.3 c. 2. Put on also the Breast-plate of Righteousness to guard your hearts that Satans temptations pierce them not Let the comfort consolation and strength that righteousness affords be in your hearts and consciences O how chearful will that make us how useful will that be to us in the worst trials and bickerings when our consciences guarded with the Breast-plate Faith and Love 1 Thes 5.8 give a good answer to God and do not reprove us VVhen the Son of God made to us of God Righteousness imboldens us toward God and stands between us and all Law-charges when the beholding him as dead for our sins and risen again for our justification and mediating the new Covenant for us as the truth declares to us gives us good hope and makes us triumph over all accusations that would affright us By him we have access to God with confidence and are preserved that the sight of our own evils doth not overwhelm us especially while we walk in his Spirit and are led by his grace to do the thing that is well pleasing in his sight and whereof our hearts shall not reproach us for if our hearts condemn us not then have we boldness 1 Joh. 3.21 And that inward boldness is an undauntedness of Spirit by which we are carried to overlook and rejoyce against all those things by which our adversaries either outward or inward would discourage us A good heart or conscience made such by Christs blood washing it and Christ himself made of God righteousness unto it and leading it in paths of righteousness is a continuall feast and will bear a man up under all other infirmities Let this therefore be put on by us that it may cloth and fence us as also 3. Shod we our feet with the readiness or preparation of the Gospel of peace that so we may not be offended in our walkings the hardships we meet with may not make us go on lamely the scratching thorns of cares and griefs may not rent and tear us the Gospel of peace having effected peace within us and prepared and fitted us to bear with patience all adversities and tryals from without us Let the operations of it in you by which it prepareth and fitteth you for God and for his way making you ready for his work and service and steeling you with patience fortitude and courage against all oppositions and sufferings be as shoes to your feet in all your goings with that Gospel also be ye prepared and furnished yea and made stedfast and setled for the spirituall conflict count it not an empty thing but in the firmness and preparedness it hath in it and that it being minded effecteth let your steps be strengthened that you slide not and your wayes both in judgement and practice be directed that you erre not in the knowledge and minding of this your feet shall be guided through all assaults and temptations unto peace and quietness Let the firmness brought thereby keep you from unsetledness It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that beleeveth Rom. 1.16 That beleeveth I say for without faith we cannot receive the benefit thereof and therefore 4. In all or above all take to your selves the shield of faith by which ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one whether ye understand this shield for faith it self or for God in Christ as the shield that faith useth they both come to one for faith is not the faith except it beleeve God rest in on him as declared in Christ so that its God in Christ closed with and rested on that makes faith as a shield thence the works of Christ are often attributed to faith because Christ doth them in and by this faith which hath God in Christ inclosed in it Now this faith is in all things usefull yea in all the other pieces of the spiritual armour it s that by which they are taken and put on by us for neither can truth be as a girdle to us not our consciences be made good nor Christ be as a brest-plate thereupon or the Gospel of peace firm strengthen and prepare us without faith receive them and thereby close us with God in Christ Jesus nor can we put on the helmet of salvation wield the sword of the Spirit or make an acceptable prayer except faith be in us so that in all these things we are to put on or exercise faith Beleeve the truth and Gospel of God and give glory to him and therein let the heart stay and rest on him minding viewing and considering what a one God is yea is become to us iâ— Christ what strength power mercy goodness and faithfulness and truth are in him how he is love and hath shewed forth his power and wisdom towards us and for us in acts of love and mercy to us and all this in his Christ his salvation his anointed who hath born our sinâ— for us and offered up himself a spotless sacrifice unto God and is become the propitiation for our sins the Mediator between God and men the high priest over his house full of mercy and grace ability and faithfulness for saving to the utmost those that come to God by him one that mediates the new Testament for his called ones that they may receive the promise of the eternall inheritance in him it is that God is a shield to us and shineth forth his grace and glory upon us Let not Christ and God in Christ then be heedlesly disregarded by you but consider him and hold fast to him beleeve in God and beleeve in Jesus Christ take to you the shield of faith Joh. 14.1 What good will a shield do a man if he throw it on the ground and use it not but if he take it to him it will profit him it will defend him therefore take to you the shield of faith for thereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of temptation that come from Satan whether more immediately by his own suggestions or more mediately by his messengers though their words be filled with never so much spirituall force and fiery burning ready to overturn men into delusions hold fast God in Christ as revealed and named to us in the truth by faith cleaved to will put them all to flight and certainly safeguard us Resist Satan with this and stand stedfast here in the use and exercise of faith as weapons are made for use in a day of battell and not to lie and rust by us and though he be never so diligent vigilant malicious subtile yet he will be foiled Resist the Devil and he will flie from you 5. Have upon your head also the helmet of salvation or as in 1 Thes 5.8 for an helmet thâ— hope of Salvation that your mindes be not corrupted from the faith nor you struck down from your resolution
Apostle further adds as useful for our direction herein in that sixth of the Ephesians viz. 6. Take unto you also the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God To the Law and to the Testament that that speaks not according to that word hath no morning light in it Isai 8.20 there 's no divine Truth in it That will discover and drive back all assailants The VVord of God that 's the immortal seed that the Believer is born of and this is he still to covet after that he may grow by it This David his in his heart that he might not sin against God and indeed that 's the best preservative from sin and direction in Righteousness when it s so hidden This is the Truth and discovers the true Righteousness of God is preached in and declares the Gospel is the Mother and Nurse of right Faith the word of Faith and of Salvation yea this is a Lanthorn to our feet and a light unto our paths In this the Spirit worketh and in the belief thereof preserveth the soul unto eternal life yea this is Spirit and Life as its full of divine and living operations unto Faith But what is this VVord of God I Answer in one sense Christ himself is the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word or Reason that was in the beginning with God and by which all things were made of God the essential Word or Word of power and Wisdom of God which also was made flesh and dwelt amongst us And it s no doubt but with this Word the Spirit fights as he doth glorifie and lift him up but that 's not done but by the Word in another sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 's the Word there in Ephes 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word spoken the declaration of the Mind and Truth of God that which God hath uttered by the mouth of Christ and of All his holy Prophets and Apostles this Word as it was originally from and by the Spirit so is that the Sword that he leads his to make use of and by which he driveth back the subtile and violent adversaries of our souls and defends us that believe and believingly make use of it in the Spirit Take to you selves then this Word of God this Sword of the Spirit believe it mind it meditate on it cleave to it bring all Motions Doctrines and Practises to the Light of it let it dwell richly in you in all wisdom it will teach and admonish you it will shew you the right way and how to behave your selves in every condition it will admonish you of the danger that is in by-wayes and in temptations so that it be I say hid in your hearts and dwell there so as that you know love believe understand and mind it in what it speaketh as it was in the heart of the Lord Jesus being so kept it will keep you instruct teach and guide you aright for his words do good to the upright-hearted Mic. 2.7 that believe and obey them in sincerity And indeed this as Cha. 3. Sect. 6. was before hinted is worthy to be minded that that 's the acceptable and right believing which purely and singly closeth with God and Christ not for or according to our sensible experiments and feelings so much as for and according to the Soveraign authority of God and his infallible and most pure sayings that believes the Word though it see not any probability as to Sense or Reason of the things there declared That Faith that 's built upon Sense as we have shewed alters and varies often according to the alterations in sense as we shewed in the Israelites who so long as some great work was in their eye and some satisfaction apprehended in their sense believed the VVord and sang his Praise but when those great things were withdrawn and danger and death surrounded them they distrusted murmured and rebelled the Word of God was of no account or force with them because it was not the bottom of their faith nor abode in them So fares it now also with many souls that receive the Word as the stony ground doth the Seed with joy for a time so long as there is no trial but all seems to go along with and demonstrate the thing that is spoken to and believed by them but when such sensible feelings or satisfactions to Reason fail and trials come then in a day of temptation they fall away they wither in a year of drought as it were not having moisture enough from the Word within to cause them to abide in a patient waiting upon God for his gratious returns to them the Gospel of Peace hath not prepared them for a long travel or trial because not heartily and throughly received and cleaved to by them in the love of it nor well digested in them therefore they have no patience but fall to murmuring repining and inordinate lusting after sensible feelings of comfort and God deferring them they either run back to the world again resolving to have its consolations rather then none or else if any Doctrine or Spirit under pretence of Gods come unto them and promise them feedom from such sad conditions and long waitings though it be from Satan and lead them quite from the faith of Jesus to some strong delusion they embrace and run after it to their own destruction preferring sensible feelings and flashes of joy and comfort and raptures c. though from false and failing delusions of Satan withdrawing them from the VVord before a patient hoping in a dark exercised condition in the VVord for its unspeakable and eternal consolations Surely from this sometimes souls are misled and given over to believe or rejoyce in a lye as if they were now at prefect freedom and as fully possessed of heaven as ever any shall be had attained the Resurrection already as much as any shall or can attain to yea were Godhead with God and made parts of his indivisible Essence Satan mounting them up aloft and causing them to speak great swelling words of vanity and shine as Comets to the admiration of others he transforming himself into an Angel of light and perswading them it is the true Light that they see and glory in though in the issue they go out in darkness and have the blackness of it reserved for them whereas on the other side where the Word of God is in the heart and the meditation thereon day and night and the hope in the Lord Jehovah there-through and according thereto it will preserve and perfect that man to the inheritance being the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes Acts 20.32 a pure infallible and sure Word that will not fail or deceive any Happy is he that though he see not or prove little or nothing in his own sense yet believeth according to what is said in that that will give comfort strength greenness growth fruitfulness and preserve the
of God unto a perfect man Know that the Scriptures came not by the wlll of man nor did the Penmen of them write as they pleased as their own fancies led them but as the holy Gost inspired and acted them 2 Pet. 1.20,21 and the things therein written were written for our learning Rom. 15.4 that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and in believing might through patience and the comfort of them have hope yea and life in his Name Joh. 20.31 In them is laid down a form of wholsom words which we are to take diligent heed unto and not to depart therefrom because they are profitable as says the Apostle to instruct correct reprove c. yea to maâ—e us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ 2 Tim. 3.15,16 both to discern truth from error light from darkness yea when it glisters like light and to lead to avoid the darkness and walk in the light yea in a word they are sufficient to perfect a man of God to every good work of the ministry or service required of him Let that Word then and the Gospel there recorded be held fast by you and the Doctrine that according thereto ye have heard from the beginning even the first principles and foundation the Death and Resurrection of Christ as therein declared that beleeve and depart not from it nor from viewing and beholding the grace and love of God and all those glorious and mysterious depths contained therein nor from the secret voices and speakings thereof to you in its teaching you that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts ye should live soberly righteously and godly yea give diligence in Reading Hearing and minding the Scriptures in every truth exercising faith in Christ so will he by his Spirit mind you so of his truths and put such Scriptum est's such sayings of divine Record into your memories and mouths as shall discover the subtilest workings of Satan and his instuments and lead you to avoid them yea to oppose and baffle them Sect. 5. Some objectiont against the Scriptures Answered LEt not vain spirits who make it their business to deceive withdraw you from cleaving to them as the true and faithful record of the Truth of God I know their wiles and what pretences they come withall to withdraw you from them some that they have got from their Father who made it his way to overthrow us at the first to withdraw us from the VVord of God See his first coming to Eve Gen. 3.1 He doth not at the first deny the saying of God but only puts a question Hath God indeed said or hath he in saying said ye shall not eat Gen. 3.1,2 Just like a generation now that knowing they shall not lead men into their errors unless they be first poysoned in their judgements about the Scriptures and withdrawn from credit giving to them first amuse people and try them with this not in a sober but a captious way How do you know that the Scriptures are the VVord of God and that they are true what have you more to say for them then the Turk for his Alcoran the Papists for their golden Legend c To whom I could wish people to give them this Answer that as by faith they understand that the world was made by the Word of God so by faith they know the Scriptures to be of God and of the inspiration of his Spirit and that they will hold to and not listen to any vain reasonings to the contrary but I hope you have a proof of God speaking in them you behold there such impressions of holiness purity truth goodness Majesty and see such a light in them as evidences them to be of him yea and you see their truth both in some experiences of them in your hearts and by the fulfilling of many prophesies in them as they spake long ago of the calling of the Gentiles when they lay all in Egyptian and gross darkness and we see it after so many hundreds of generations fulfilled they speak of the ruine of many then famous places which now answerably are ruined they foretell of such perverse Spirits and Doctrines of Devils in which men would deny the Lord that bought them and mock at saying where is the promise of his coming and bring in heresies of destruction as we may see accomplished even in many of them that make this questioning and therefore we need not go far for arguments to enduce us to beleeve the truth of the Scriptures which is questioned by them they suggest the Differences of some Greek copies of the new Testament and variety of readings which as it cannot be denyed so is it not of any materiall weight for what they subtilty use it those varieties being generally except in two or three places in things of lesser moment and such as either reading in the most Authentick Copies is no whit dangerous or destructive to the faith of Jesus yea usually the different readings do sound so much to the same purpose as they scarce deserve the name of differences as that in Mat. 1.22 we read This is that that that was said of the Lord by the Prophet saying c Others adde the name of the Prophet by the Prophet Isaiah saying So Mat. 2.11 When they came into the house and saw the child some and found the child so others So Chap. 3.9 Bring forth therefore fruit or fruits meet for repentance and vers 12. He shall gather the wheat into his garner or his wheat into the garner and in vers 11. He shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire some omit the word fire there is no danger in either reading but ours is confirmed and that defect in the other of the word fire is made up in Luke 3 16. Where all copies agree that the word fire is added and yet the other reading is in a manner repeated and so owned by our Saviour in applying that saying to his Apostles in Acts 1.5 Many of those readings stand but in a diversity of word to the same sense and differ no more then God wils and God willeth or God commandeth and God requireth as in Mat. 2.13 some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which differ no more then these two English words kill and slay so in vers 6. some read Bethlehem of Judah others Bethlehem in the Land of Judah so in Chap. 4.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some read and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as others differ no more then walking about and going or travailing about and such are those in the 19. and 23. verses some read I will make you fishers of men others I will make you to be fishers of men He healed them so we vers 22. He healed them all say others so in Chap. 5.11 some read for my sake some for righteousness sake either of them right and both come to one and the same thing many such like differences I might instance
which do but manifest that while men have copied out these sacred writings they have sometimes either through heedlesness or through difficulty of right discerning or reading some word overslipt or altered some particles or words sometimes setting down some other of a like or neer signification agreeable to the sense and scope of the Text and sometimes perhaps something being noted in the margin by way of conference of like places in the several Evangelists some word or saying hath thence been afterward looked upon as pertaining to the Text and hath been by others inserted thereinto for so sometimes some word or sentence in some copies inserted in some History in Matthew or Mark more then other copies have is found in the same History in Luke or John by consent of all copies And this is clear that there is nothing of faith about which there are diversities of readings but what other places in which all copies agree will guide us to discern what is consonant to truth of them and which of them is corrupted and doth disagree nor any passage of weight in our received copies out of which our Bibles are translated which other places in which all copies agree will not confirm as in that most weighty place about which there are divers readings 1 Joh. 5.7 there are three that bear record in Heaven c. which some copies have not but most have the Scripture else where attests it to be according to truth for we have the same there in Joh. 1.1.33 clearly spoken of and all agreeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into one as some read it and again in Mat. 29.19 with divers other places which there is no difference or variety of reading in Nay we find the Holy Ghost sometimes varying a word in the Scripture and while the same truth is held forth though with some variety of expression it s still divine truth and not for that variety in expression to be rejected as where Moses said Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and shalt serve him our Saviour repeats it against Satan thus thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve which being both the sense of that place and the scope of divers other Scriptures it was no untruth to say it was so written this objection then is only a frivolous rub put in the way not to be regarded these varieties of readings being found either in matters not essentiall to the faith or if in such yet then they are either so small that they no way alter the truth propounded or are in other places cleared and the right reading attested I know some object against the translating of them that we have them not in their proper language and there is great difference in translations and one Minister corrects one place and another another c. A sorry objection too for 1. we have them in their Originall languages though all understand them not there 2. That languages or words are signarerum the expressions of things and not the things themselves expressed and that the alteration of the sound or name of a thing in severall languages alters not the thing so differently named is clear and that interpretation is needfull in languages not understood to make them understandible is as evident and that there are certain Idioms and properties of speech in every language which are scarce so fully to be expressed in other languages as in their own is confest too by all that understand languages besides that there is variety of signification of some words in most especially the Hebrew and Greek languages which sometimes render sentences somewhat dubious as well in the Original as to the translators and sometime one translator takes a word in one signification sometimes in another which are not cases often obvious but that the scope of the place matter evidence what the use of the word there is though sometimes it doth not so clearly but that there may be diversity of conceptions about it yet this being usually in things less essential to the faith no divine truth essentiall to our beleeving in God and walking aright with him is thereby left uncertain only some instruction or relation of things for our learning and further helpfulness or consolation in the things otherwhere many times more clearly and without all doubt asserted is not so fully made out in some translations as in others which doth but shew an usefulness in giving diligence to understand and make out the properties of the Originall languages by men of learning not at all that we are to slight the divine truths made out to us by the good hand of God upon those who have done their endeavours herein by translating them for us especially seeing we have almost generally left to us in the margin of some editions the diversity of the significations in which such dubious places may be taken that we might consider them both and take either of them as God shall present instructions to us from them and yet the rather too seeing the great mysteries of God and Jesus Christ are in clear and undoubted expressions in all translations amongst us so unanimously represented as that nothing but sloth or unbelief or wickedness can be the hinderance of our attaining to so much of them as may lead us to and preserve us in the way of salvation But yet neither is this all there is yet another wile of Satan that prevails much with many viz. that the Scriptures have another meaning then what the words import a spirituall mystical or Allegorical sense which is the true sense and therefore they are not indeed to be rejected but studied yet not to stick to the literal expression but to find out the spiritual that is the allegorical sense and this comes most up to the old Serpent who did not at the first say God never said ye shall not eat but hath God indeed said or in saying said ye shall not eat c. as if he should say though them words ye heard yet do you think that was the meaning of them there was some other thing in that saying then you think of and not that which the words seem to import this is a very specious temptation and takes with many and the other forementioned are often made of use to usher in this In answering which this I shall say that 1. All Scripture in one sense hath a spirituall sense as by spirituall sense we mean the sense of the Spirit or that the Spirit holds forth but then that is most usually no other but what the words hold forth and express as there is one god one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for all the sense of the Spirit in that is as is exprest in th◠words and so usually in other places 2. Many Scriptures are indeed parabolically and figuratively exprest and there the Spirit had a further aime then at what the letter of
stories as that a cock scratching up a dunghill found a Jewel and finding it wisht rather that he had found a kernel of Barley in which he intended not to tell a real story of any Dunghill Cock but under that devised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fable to set forth the folly of vain men who if they light of some pretious Truth or meanes of understanding prize it not but prefer some small worldly commodities or pleasures before it as better suiting their principles and dispositions and so under a Tale of a Frog and a Mouse fighting till the Kite catch them both up and devoured them he sets forth the way and issue of civil dissentions in which while both parties fight against each other they both become a prey to some third common and more potent enemy And under the Tale of a Dog passing over the water with a piece of meat in his mouth catching at the shadow of it and loosing the substance he declares how foolish vain men having some substantial Truth and catching at some vain shadow of Truth as if it were another or a more substantial truth loose and fall from that substantial Truth that before they were possest of Such is the nature of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a devised Fable Now the Apostle Peter tells us that they did not so declare the coming of Christ as if what they declared of Christ as born of a Virgin the Word made flesh and as opposed by Herod and other enemies working Miracles dying rising and ascending was but a witty representation of something done within them as of Truth born in an honest and innocent heart and there opposed by Corruption and Lust yet after some strength attained teaching many good Lessons to the soul and doing great works in it curing its blindness healing its lameness inlivening it from its deadness sometimes again stifled as it were by corruption and darkness but yet after a while getting the upper hand again and obtaining a more glorious conquest ravishing the soul and carrying it up into heavenly joyes and consolations Verily if this had been the thing the Apostles meant in speaking of Christ his Incarnation Sufferings Teachings c. and all the History of Christ but deviled to set this forth they have declared as plain and manifest and yet as wisely a devised Fable as ever Aesop devised to represent his moral instructions But the Apostle tells us lest we should be beguiled and led into such a fancy that they did not follow any such thing when they preached Christ but told us a true History and that that was the true Grace into which they have instructed us 1 Pet. 5.12 .. It s a truth indeed and that plainly asserted too in the Scriptures that while w◠behold the glory of the Lord with open face as in a Glass we are transformed into the same image c. that there is a great resemblance between the word of essence or Word that is God made flesh in the person of Christ and the Word or revelation of the grace of God in Christ united to our hearts by faith this conforms us unto Christ in Death and Resurrection It is opposed by corruption and growing up getting roote or dwelling richly in us teaches and admonishes us and keeps us safe in the midst of corruption from being overcome of it yea inasmuch as the Spirit of Christ is in it it gives the soul understanding and fills it with life power and salvation or rather Christ doth all this by it through his Spirit 's working effectually in it possibly to corruption at some time may cloud and dead its operations in some hour of temptation and day of desertion and it may break forth again and shine more gloriously in the soul after such a condition by the power of the Spirit quickning it in us and it may then raise us up in our spirits more gloriously and lead us up to heavenly consolations and all these things may be found attested in the Scriptures but yet this is not that coming of Christ in the flesh the Death and Resurrection of him declared in the Gospel but in some things the fruit of our sinnings against God or of his hiding his face by way of trial of our faith and in other things the fruit and operation of the Spirit of God sent unto us in Christ Name who suffered and rose for us We are to distinguish between the sufferings of the Humanity in the person of Jesus of Nazareth with its Resurrection and Glory his being made Lord and Christ c. and the conformity of the Humanity to him in his members by the working of his divine Spirit in them through the faith of him and not make the things affirmed of the head meet devised things to set forth Truth in the members nay deny the head and make him but a fained type of the members as they that hold not the head Col. 2.19 or ascribe not to the Humanity that suffered rose and ascended or to Christ as in it the true nature of a head I am the larger in this because it having a shew of wisdom beguiles many from the head of all principality and power the Lord Jesus Col. 2.8.10 and as was foretold by the Apostle causes them to turn asideto Fables or rather to turn the Gospel into a Fable This turning all into an Allegory is as notable a baite as any Satan can fish with for if a man be once brought to that that he thinks the Scriptures hold not forth the mind of the Spirit in and according to its expressions but speak of other things then it will follow that the literal expressions will not be much heeded but some spiritual pretended mystery looked for to resemble the things spoken of and then Satan himself transforming himself into an Angel of light may pretend to declare or suggest that true spiritual meaning and the soul hath nothing in the Word left certain by taking heed to which it may dicover him the Scriptures being now made to it like to the Philosophers first matter Omnium formarum capax fit to be interpreted by any new devise or figment that hath a shew of wit and subtilty in it as the spiritual sense of it yea the devil will lead men inevitably by this to deny the plainest affirmations of God in the Scripture as he was bold to tell Eve that in dying she should not dye the dying spoke of was not what she thought of it should be but a dying to her present dark state of faith and she should be as God and live a more divine life of Knowledge and sense so will he nay he doth lead men upon this principle to deny Christ the Lord that bought them suggesting to them that though the Scripture speak of one Jesus born of a woman at Bethlehem and dying neer Jerusalem for our sins and that we ought to believe in him yet the truth is that is but a Fable a
glorious appearance of him unto Paul as caused a bright shining visible to the standers by if he had had no other being or existence then in the hearts of men Acts 9.7 and 22.9 Such inferences then are meer abuses of Scripture not asserted in but contradictory to the Scriptures by keeping close to which as was before noted thou maist descry them to be vain as Christ holding close to the Scriptures detected Satans abuse of Scripture to him Beware I say then of their false Collections and strained inferences against the stream of the Scriptures and contrary to their plain sayings and their errings from the faith once delivered to the Saints as they are by the Scriptures made evident to be errings therefrom contend against but yet this their practise notwithstanding or their allegation of Hereticks in general abusing and diversly wresting them do not thou slight them but the more to minde them they being as the Apostle tells us sufficient to make the man of God perfect even fully able also to detect and reprove such abusive perversions of them yea and in and through faith in Christ to guide and keep thee and make thee useful to others also for salvation Sect. 7. Of Prayer ANd yet because they are the Sword of the Spirit a sword that cannot be weilded by every arm or to purpose by any but by and in the hand of the Spirit thou wilt need skill and strength from God rightly to use and weild them for though they are the glorious things of God and Christ uttered by the mouth of his servants the Apostles and Prophets that are contained therein yet as they are written so that writing is but a medium to make over those divine revelations by and the writing it self is not the thing that hath life in it but the things witnessed to and spoken of in them which things are not the object of the natural eye that looks upon the outward writing nor is the glory and certainty of those things discernable to the natural understanding unless the Understanding be opened though Truth in true expressions be presented to it yet it will not see them in the lustre beauty certainty glory heavenliness of them nor will it minde the love grace wisdom and glory of God therein shining and so the heart will not be rightly affected to them nor able to hold them fast so as nothing separate or withdraw it from them nor can or shal we so make use of them as not to be over-reached by Satan or have them in readiness when we should have most use of them uness they be put into us by the finger of God ingraven in our hearts and dwell in us being understood believed loved delighted in by us though the word therein declared be a spiritual Sword fit to fight the Lords battel with yet we have need of God to teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight with and to make it powerful and effectual against our spiritual enemies against whom we draw it Now the Lord hath promised to send his Spirit to the end to bring his Words to our remembrance to teach us lead us into all truth help our infimities c. And he is a Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding a Spirit of Might and Power and of the fear of the Lord a spirit of Truth and Consolation in whose might and wisdom and not in our own if we encounter Satan and his messengers we shall overcome them but as he is in the hand of the Lord to send forth yea is his hand so hath he told us that he would be sought to by us to perform for us the things that he promiseth us and so for this his Spirit to give wisdom and understanding to us Thence we are to look to him also in prayer and supplications with thansgivings for what he gives us according to that Phil. 4.6,7 In nothing be careful or thoughtful as to say and reason with our selves how shall we finde out truth how shall we escape the wiles of Satan but in all things or cases make known your requests unto God by supplications and prayers with thanks givings and then the peace of God that passeth understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in safe custody 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the knowledge of Christ as if he should say if you thanking him for what he hath done for you call upon him for further grace and mercy then shall he give down or so mind you of the knowledge of his Son as shall safeguard the heart in peace and quietness and this too agrees with that in Prov. 2.3 If thou callest for wisdom and liftest up thy voyce for understanding if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasure then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God for the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth proceeds knowledge and understanding which ver 10 11. if it enter into the heart and become pleasant to the soul will preserve thee from the evil man that speaks perverse things and from the woman or spirit of error that flatters with her lips Seeing this so pretious wisdom comes from God it is but meet and requisite that we go for it to God that we desire and pray to him for it and that without ceasing our desire and suit till he do give it to us yea and hath brought us by it to the haven of rest and set us past all further difficulties trials and temptations in which we cannot but need wisdom to direct and guide us which saith the Apostle James also Chap. 1.5 if any man want let him ask it of God who giveth liberally to all and upbraideth not that 's far the better course then to lean to our own understanding and take the thoughts and dictates of our own hearts for sure guides in which Satan oftentimes may come in and deceive us It is true that God doth often prevent us with his goodness and is found of them that seek him not yea that also is necessary to our seeking him for if he did not first give to us a knowledge of our wants and of his goodness how should we call upon him but it s as true that he having so prevented us and freely made known himself to us he expects this fruit again from us that we be thankful to him and follow on to know him seeking for further help and mercy of him So he could have given us blessing spirit knowledge c. immediatly into our selves but having found us unfaithful in Adam and to have plaid the Prodigals he hath in his wisdom chosen rather to depositate them in Jesus Christ willing us to repair to him to God by him for them to be given us out according to our needs which he also hath promised we shall receive so coming to him but if we turn our backs upon him and shall stoutly and proudly lift up our selves and
perish in the smoothness of their own Psal 81.10,11,12 2 Thes 2.10,11 The Serpent deceived Eve parling with him alone she listning to him and eating of the Tree before any mention made of advising with Adam and being her self deceived she became an instrument under pretence of her experience or knowledge of its goodness to lead Adam also into the transgression and verily the Apostle intimates that the forsaking the Assemblies of each other is the leading way to that wilful sinning that excludes from all further benefit of Christs Sacrifice and mediation and layes open to devouring judgement And Jude exhorting earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints against ungodly men that deny the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus after many Badges and Characters of them he gives this as the last vers 19. these are they that separate themselves sensual not having the Spirit these are withdrawers of themselves from the Gospel and its Ordinances and the Assemblies of faithful men and are sensual that is judge of Gods Wayes by sense and not by faith the spirit of which they want and so give not God the glory of his Wisdom and Truth they see no form or beauty in the Gospel in prayer in breaking bread in mutual helping and provoking one another what is in these things say they we have used them so and so long and we feel no good in them like those in Mal. 3.15 What profit is it that we have observed his Ordinances and walked mourfully before the Lord So stout are their words against the Lord though they will not see it but run from the simplicity of Gods appointments and so deprive themselves both of that preservation and growth in the faith that in patience continuance and holding fast their profession and confidence they should meet with and also of that future reward that God gives to those that fear his Name whose often speakings to one another he hearkens to and hears and sets down in his book of Remembrance according to that of Solomon Eccles 4 9. Two are better then one because they have a good reward for their labour and if they fall the one will lift up his fellow but wo to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to lift him Such a one is both more easily overturned and thrown down and being gone is the less recoverable Again If two lie together they may have heat but how can one be warm alone In Christian Communion and abiding together in the fellowship of the Gospel there is spiritual heat and fervor one whets up and provoketh another to love and good works of which the forsakeing of the Assembly depriveth a man yea if one prevail against him two shall withstand him One may watch over another in Christian Communion yea and a threefold cord is not easily broken where two or three are gathered together in the Name of Christ there he comes in and twists them faster in his Spirit so that unless by untwining them they are not easily broken Take we heed then to watch over one another and frequent Gods Ordinances together And indeed God hath appointed such Ordinances as will put us upon mutual walking together as exhorting one another joint prayers in the Name of Christ breaking of bread c. so that we must despise and kick against Gods Authority if we will not walk in the faith together yea he hath so measured out his Gifts and Grace amongst his Saints that none might say to other I have no need of thee and that we may not attain to comprehend the depth length heighth and breadth and know the love of God that passeth knowledge but in unity with all Saints Ephes 3.17,18 Despise not Prophesying then nor forsake not the assemblies of your selves but build up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost walking in and provoking one another to love and good works firmly believing his Promise of blessing who hath said In every place where I record my Name I will come to thee and I will bless thee Exod. 20.24 And again Blessed is he that heareth my words and watcheth daily at the posts of my gates for he that findeth me findeth life c. Prov. 8.33 And where brethren dwell together in unity there God commandeth his blessing even life for evermore Psal 133.1.4 Sect. 9. That the Ordinances of Christ are yet in force and none ought to slight or exempt themselves from subjection to them BUT forasmuch as here thou art in danger to be incountred with many specious words tending to withdraw thee from the fellowship of the Gospel and with brethren in the Ordinances of Christ needful it is that something more be spoken thereabout to warn thee of some dangerous principles that do great service herein to Satan for thou mayst meet with them that will not onely deride at the simplicity and seeming weakness of the Ordinances of Christ not considering that it is the usual way of God to make choice and use of the weak things of the world to be the mediums of glorifying his power and of confounding the things that be mighty that so the power might be known to be of God and not of the medium or outward ordinance and so consequently that they that contemn the Ordinances of God for their weakness and sorriness do therein despise and condemn the wisdom of God and deprive themselves of the blessing that he holds forth by and â—nd in them But also will tell thee that they for their parts are got into a higher Form or to be under a more glorious dispensation above all Forms or Ordinances so as that they are of nouse or profit to them so that God is throwing them down or hath cast them by and it s a far happier and higher state to be and live above them then under them so intising thee from attendance to God in them to aspire Eve-like to that better and higher condition but therein they play the Serpent with thee and therefore beware of them Indeed there are Ordinances that believers are not under viz. the ordinances of mans invention in the worship of God for otherwise we are to be subject to the civil Ordinances of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 such as Touch not tast not handle not c. according to the traditions commandements of men Col. 2.22 as also the Ordinances of the Law of Moses and Jewish observations Christ hath freed us from but of these is not the question but of the Ordinances of the Lord even of the Lord Jesus such as Preaching Hearing Prayer Baptism the Supper of the Lord c. Concerning which also that 's not to be denied that they are not the matter we are to live upon the meat we are to feed on The Lord Jesus himself as he is the great Witness of the love of God to us and the Revealer of his minde is the true Lord of
therefore of this and of that other branch of insobriety that usually accompanies it viz. curiosity in our searchings and inquisitions after knowledge an over-reaching of our selves to see into secrets a peeping into the Ark a prying into things not seen being vainly puft up with a fleshly mind Col. 2.18 a thing that hath ever proved very dangerous and hurtful to them that have been addicted thereto what caught Eve at the first but a desire to be as God knowing good and evil and what makes men more to turn out from Christ then a not being content with his simplicity but affecting vain Philosophy or a desire to know and by reason to dive into things that are above our comprehensions whence else proceed those questions about the secret purposes thoughts and hidden counsels of God the curious inquisitions into his Essence and about heaven hell the state of souls departed and many other curiosities beyond what the VVord declareth of them questions which we may comprehend under those that the Apostle says tend not to profit but to pervert men and undo them he that walketh humbly as knowing nothing but infirmity and evil in himself and contents himself with things revealed receiving such Truths so as to walk in them and keep close unto them avoiding nice and hidden speculations he walks surely and shall be preserved from falling when others that climb aloft tumble down again Take we therefore the counsel of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober be vigilant for your adversary the devil goeth about like a roaring lyon seeking daily Whom to devour Whom resist stedfast in the faith Keep close to the Faith and so to the Word of God the proper object of mans Faith but take heed of an insober prying into things besides it Be not drunk as not with pleasures cares fears sorrows from things below so neither with conceits of our selves desires of God-likeness beyond what is held forth in the faith nor with desires to know things that God hath reserved to himself neither yet be secure and careless through conceit of thine own strength and standing nor rash in closing with every hint doctrine or spirit that is presented to thee but be sober and vigilant sober in not out-running Gods VVord and Spirit vigilant in watching and examining every doctrine and spirit by comparing it with the holy Spirit and his Testimony and Law in his written VVord and the holy Unction already through the Gospel of Christ received lest Satan over-reach thee and finding thee out of the bounds of Gods way in which he hath ingaged his protection devour thee Verily in these last times its sad to see how men stagger to and fro and reel up and down wavering between this and that opinion like drunken men their hearts being surfeited and their heads made giddy with conceits of their own excellencies and abilities so that they think themselves able to swallow up all the most secret knowledge of God himself into their fancies but alas with the Dog in the Fable while they catch at shadows under desire of having all knowledge in stead of attaining their desires they let go and lose all that hath substance in it not comprehending things they deny them not comprehending heaven and hell the glory of Christs Humanity c. they grow into Antichristianism and Atheism and lose themselves in vanity Of these things therefore be thou warned to avoid them that they snare thee not and thou perish in them Take heed also of slothfulness in seeking after and unto God formality in contenting thy self with speculations of Truth without the power of it renewing the heart and so of presumpcion earthly-mindedness and the rest of the evils hinted at before that lay men open to temptations cleave thou close to God and to the VVord and Spirit of Grace and fight the good fight of Faith quitting thy self with courage in all encounters and thou shalt prove it a good fight indeed both for that its lawful honest and warranted by God and also for that thou shalt therein finde help from God to inable thee to it and carry thee through it yea and lastly thou shalt in striving lawfully be crowned after thou hast overcome thou shalt receive a large reward even a Crown of Righteousness concerning which promised reward and Gods faithfulness to give it in his season I shall nextly hint something to thee for thy further encouragement Chap. 5. Of the Reward of the Saints overcoming Sect. 1. That there is a Reward promised AS the faith of the Saints leans upon the VVord of God in general and so upon God himself as the original of that VVord and the things declared therein so their hope leans on and hath for its object the promises of God which hold forth the marrow and fatness of the feast of good things made in Christ and the consideration of them is very requisite for their patient encountering with temptations and enduring to the issue they being partly the things fought for and partly helps in fighting for they are of two sorts things to be given to and enjoyed by us in the combate and things to be met with in the issue of it according to that Fear not Abraham I will be thy shield to protect and defend thee in the way and thy exceeding great Reward Gen. 15.1 when thou hast overcome Under the first head are comprehended the promises of this life in the outward man and for the life of the Spirit in the inner man the promises of provision and maintenance such as this Fear the Lord ye Saints or holy ones for they that fear the Lord shall want no good thing Psal 34.9 And that Seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all other things shall be added to you Mat. 6.33 Whence that Let your conversation be without covetousness Heb. 13,5,6 Be not reaching in your desires after the world either in provision for sustenance or safety as if you were left to shift for your selves therein or as if your happiness consisted partly in having much thereof or as if God would not provide for necessaries or conveniences herein for your warfare here but be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may be bold and say the Lord is on my side I will not fear what flesh can do unto me Heb. 13.5,6 And for protection from enemies so as that they shall not harm or devour us such as that All the hairs of your head are numbred and the Lord will save them from the wicked and he will help them because they trust in him Matth. 10. Psal 37.41 the promises for their helpfulness in Spirit are such as these That he will sanctifie and cleanse them 1 Thes 5.23,24 VVrite his Laws and put his fear in them Ezek. 36.25,26 Fer. 31.32 c. that he will send the Spirit of Truth and put it into them as a Comforter
and to lead them into all truth Heb. 8.9,10,11 That he will pardon their sins accept them watch over them gather them in his arms lead and feed them c. Isai 27.2,3 and 40.11,12 Of the other sort are the full and finall deliverances of them from all adversity temptation opposition and evil giving them full firm and free peace and the possessing them of all the fulness of his glory in Jesus Christ the full and open knowledge of God in everlasting life to see as they are seen and be like to Jesus Christ in the enjoyment of fellowship with God and the consolations and satisfactions of God c. Concerning which consider a little first who are the proper heires of them to whom they are made and secondly what the time of their fulfilling Sect. 2. Of the Heirs or Object to whom the Promises are made THe heirs of the Promises of God even as the subjects of the Election to the injoyment of them is primarily Christ and then secondarily in and through him Saints by calling or Believers in him That Christ is firstly the Heir of the Promise is clear from Gal. 3.16,17 The Promise was to Abraham and his seed to Abraham by vertue of his seed he saith not unto seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ And again the Promise was fore-confirmed of God unto Christ He is the heir of all things and principally of the Promises of God especially those of eternal Life as he is the Elect of God chosen to be his holy One without blame before him for ever and the Son of his Love the receptacle of the fulness of his Blessing Secondly As any are of God called and by the grace discovered and working in the Call brought unto and into Christ so they become to be heirs in and with Christ reckoned after Christ as in Gal. 3.27,28,29 So many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and â—…irs according to Promise Abrahams seed not another but one seed still as in unity with Christ for ye saith he are all one in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female bond nor free c. The sons of the flesh either of Adam or of Abraham are not as such the sons of God nor inheritors of the Promises but they that are born of the Spirit and are in Christ Jesus they and they onely not the Law neither and its seed are the chosen of God to this great dignity to be heirs of his Promises Whence also it follows that men come to partake of and to enjoy the Promises by Faith in Jesus Christ In him all the Promises of God are yea and amen to the praise and glory of God 2 Cor. 1.20 A man abiding and continuing in him and his Word shall meet with supply and provision here so far as God sees good and needful for this life support also and spirit from God to inable him to the incounter and to give him the victory and shall inherit eternal glory On the contrary If any draw back his soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 He deprives himself thereby of his own mercy if any man throw down his weapons and yield to Satan neglecting himself of or renouncing the Son of God to whom he was called and through whose bloud he was sanctified he puts himself out of the way of the Promises they are not to any Yea and Amen out of Christ but in him nor to nay simply as men but as men in Christ or as believing men In which believing we meet with the power of God to salvation 1 Pet 1.5 and not beside it The consideration of which is but a motive to draw us to eye Christ and to fight the good fight of Faith while we look upon it as the condition to which the Promises appertain and as men are therein the heirs of them and also a terror to drive or curb rather and bridle to keep in aw from listening to Flesh and Satan to depart from Christ and from the Faith seeing that is the way to deprive our selves of his Promises no room for diffidence here in this way of eying Christ nor yet for carelesness and presumption as if no need to eye him The promise of the Spirit runs thus If ye love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth c. Sect. 3. Of the time of the full fulfilling of the Promises THe time of the performance of the Promises is various Some as we have noted are performed and to be met with here in our warfare viz. those of Provision and Protection c. but other promises are reserved till the victory be compleated till we have fought our fight and finished our course and even then also it may be and is as yet reserved or laid up for a further day Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day 2 Tim. 4.8 That great Day the Day of his appearance with all his holy Ones that 's the day of the full reward In the mean time it is true and we may find it so that upon particular combats and victories there may be and sometimes are particular rewards visitations confirmations inlargements of the Spirit to men upon abiding and holding fast the Faith in particular exercises but these are but a first fruits and earnest of the inheritance in comparison of the whole reward that is promised to be injoyed after all incounters are over and past Now beware that ye confound not these days of the Lords spiritual appearance in some particular visit to the soul with the time of his ful personal and glorious appearance when every eye shall see him and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him when he shall descend from heaven with the sound of a Trump the Archangel of God and the dead in Christ shall be raised 1 Thes 4.16 as some unwarily do running themselves into much error taking the first fruits for the full income and cuting off the hope of the Harvest that should carry them on and keep them from by-turning to the troubling of the brethren also and subversion of many of them 2 Tim. 2.15,16,17 Neither entertain ye such a conceit as some have vented That there shall be no personal appearance of Christ any more but onely a spiritual manifestation of himself in his people for that also is a doctrine and opinion cross at least if not destructive to the Faith The Angels told the Disciples when they saw him taken up that as they see him taken up from them so they should see him even so coming again Acts 1.10,11 But they saw him going up personally as the Scripture makes it evident for as a distinct person from them and not as by spirit in them was
our defects and failings in Faith that the convents of the new Covenant may notwithstanding be performed to us his Law be writ in our hearts and his Fear put within us his holy Spirit given to us to sanctifie teach lead strengthen and comfort us and in a word that we may be carried up to the enjoyment of the eternal inheritance Consider him then it s Christ that died for us yea rather that is risen again and is at the right hand of God making intercession for us the Captain of salvation the Author yea and the Finisher too of our Faith Consider his Love Faithfulness Office Goodness that we faint not nor be weary through any temptation Fear not but he that conquered all our enemies by himself for us will also in our following after him give us the victory over them and the reward that he hath abundantly promised It s his Word of incouragement who hath gone before us and is in the head of the battle To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of Life that is in the midst of the Paradise of God and that he shall not be hurt of the second death yea the white stone and new name the hidden Manna and in a word his everlasting Kingdom Rev. 2. and 3. 3 Yea and thirdly hath not God also given us of his holy Spirit his Power and strength to to be in us and to fight our battels for us to lead teach uphold and comfort us and he is a spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge a spirit of strength and courage and of the fear of the Lord. The holy Unction that gives discerning witnessing of Christ and glorifying him and more powerful then any thing that comes to withstand him according to that Greater is he that is in us then he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4.4 Abide but in him and follow after his lustings and instructions in the wayes that our Lord hath prescribed to us and he will work all our works in us and our works shall be wrought in him we need not any other teaching or spirit but as and according to that which that holy Vnction teacheth us what swerves from his testimony is not to be heeded by us and that that swerves is to be discerned by this that it maketh little or no account of Christ come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4.1,2,3 of the things done and suffered by him therein it skips over or le ts go that and makes but a light matter or nullity of it whereas the holy Unction or Spirit of Truth confesseth holdeth forth and glorifieth Christ come in the flesh he saith not in our flesh for many deceivers talk of that who would lead us to exalt themselves though they be Antichrists as also the holy Spirit is the same that was in the Prophets and Apostles and leads us to hear them and to abide in unity of Faith with them Ephes 1.4,5 1 Joh. 4.5,6 whereas the false spirits slight them and lead not to hear or matter Unity of faith and confession with them If we have received this earnest why should we fear that God will fail us of the inheritance in this might and power of the Lord if we be strong nothing shall overcome us Sect. 7. Of Knowing Christ after the flesh and after the Spirit I Know they that lie in waite to deceive you will suggest that this that I have said of Christ his Death Resurrection and mediation is at best but a carnal knowledge of him according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit and that the Spirit in evidencing him will witness a more divine and spiritual knowledge and draw off the heart from this fleshly consideration or looking upon him as he was made flesh and therein suffered and died for us To perswade you to which they quote that in 2 Cor. 5.16 Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth we know him so no more as if the Apostle meant that he minded him no more as one that was born of a woman and died in the flesh and was raised again and in that very body glorified they had sometimes such carnal apprehensions of him and looked at him as the Saviour in and by that his death and suffering indeed but now they have a more spiritual allegorical knowledge of him Against which interpretation of the Apostles words though that might suffice to preserve us that I have newly before noted from the Apostle John that every spirit that confesseth not that is glorifies not nor sets not forth Jesus Christ come in the flesh is not of God yet I shall for further satisfaction look more fully into that place And first it may hence appear evidently that that is not the Apostles meaning in that passage because such an interpretation of him is cross to himself and his fellow brethren and Apostles in other places for its evident that both Paul and the rest preached him as of the seed of David according to the flesh the Son of God made of a woman made under the Law made sin and a curse for us crucified and raised again and now mediating for us with God the Advocate High-priest and Prince of the Congregation and to this Doctrine and this Christ thus preached and set forth they frequently exhort believers to take heed to cleave adhere and listen and by no means under what pretext or pretence soever to depart therefrom Heb. 3.1 6.14 Acts 11.23,24 1 Joh 2.28 Gal. 1.8,9 yea to hold as execrable and accursed all that would perswade them thereto or that preach my other Gospel then that of Christ so preached by them Col. 1.22,23 in holding fast to whom and to the Gospel of him they promise safety an abiding happy condition but in the letting him and that go by any means they pronounce certain danger and unavoydable destruction Heb. 2.3 10.25,29 yea Christ as so in the flesh abased for us and now risen ascended and advocating for us at the right hand of God they themselves and in especial that very Apostle Paul rejoyces in and places the foundation of all his hope and confidence in as is plain in that of Rom. 8.32 as the very thing which being known apprehended and received by him was the great manifestation of Gods Love to him and the great argument of his further favor and good will yea the spring of his hope of glory confidence boldness access to God and renovation into his likeness yea Christ as thus he was abased and is risen and mediates for us being known believed and entertained into the heart is in the believer the very hope or that which springs up and nourishes in him an expectation of future glory as is evident from the fore-quoted place and that in Rom. 5.10 where from the consideration of Christ as delivered to death for us while sinners and of our being reconciled to him thereby he infers an
forth what almightiness is in himself though therefore Gods Power in it self and he in himself be Almighty that worketh yet his woking is not so Almightily put forth but that a man turning his eye from what he sets before him and listening to the Law in his members may deprive or hinder himself of the efficacie and operations of it and therefore great need also of exhortations to incite and stir up the heart to listen and take heed to the Grace of God in and with which Gods Power works in the soul that through that heeded and minded it may experiment and receive the working of that mighty power to its own preservation unto life eternal For though its the power of God that keeps us unto salvation yet that power keeps us not but through faith 1 Pet. 1.5 and is not to be felt and received by us but in believing and mens unwary separating of these two from one another as if they should certainly find the power of God to save them though they sit loose from the Word of Faith in which believed and minded God conveyes it over to men is the very ground and bottom of much presumption and brings many fool-hardily to throw themselves out of Gods wayes into their own destruction But yebeloved as ye are before warned separate not those things that God hath joyned together Wait on the Lord and keep his way Listen to brotherly instructions councels and exhortations â—…ying all things because Satan sometimes insiâ—…ates his operation in stead of Gods into and â—y Brethren as he spake in Peter when he â—ounselled Christ from his sufferings and hold â—…st that that is good And so I shall address my â—…f to what I have to say further by way of Exâ—ortation and that which I have to say is for our walking as Saints in these four Considerations viz. 1. As to God 2. As to one another 3. As to Seducers And 4. As to the unfilled or residue of the world Sect. 2. Exhortations to holy walking toward God WAlk worthy of the call wherewith God hath called you Ephes 4.1 God hath called you to be Saints walk then as Saints that is 1. Holily towards Him and that in 1. Giving thanks unto him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light delivered you from the power of darkness and translated you into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1.13,14 and given you wisdom righreousness holiness and redemption in him Yea thankfully rejoyce in him the Father who hath done this for you and thereby made you meete to partake of the inheritance of the Saints in light by not onely giving his Son for you when sinners but also propounding him to you in and calling you to him by the Gospel when ignorant and out of the way who also hath inriched and blessed you with all spiritual blessings in Christ even with whatever makes either for defence and safety or for fruitfulness or eternal satisfaction Rejoyce also in Christ Jesus and count him worthy to receive praise and glory and thanksgiving seeing he hath loved and given himself for you yea and washt you in his blond Gal. 2.20 through the force and power of it cleansing your consciences and redeeming you from the earth and men Rev. 1.5 Heb. 9.14 Rev. 14.4 Seeing also he as the great High Priest mediateth the New Covenant for you that ye might be saved to the utmost through him be presented blameless to the Father by and in him and receive the promised possession and do this in the Spirit of Truth and holiness sent forth from the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus unto you and working in you to sanctifie you to be a pure offering unto God and the Father in him Be glad I say in this thankfulness and sing forth his Fraises Joy is comely for the Saints and righteous for and unto whom God in Christ hath done so much there is cause of joy in Christ for all people but chiefly for the Saints that are particularly his people Let Israel rojoyce in him that made him Psal 149.2 the Saints in God who hath given them not onely a natural being but also new created them in Christ Jesus to good works that he might be glorified in them And let the children of Sion the sons of Grace that have their birth of the Gospel and Promise held forth therein be joyful in Jesus Christ their King Let his praises be in your mouth and the high acts of God in your songs as those that are spiritually favoured by him Cast down your crowns before him let no mention be made of any acts or worth of yours any righteousness or salvation of your working but remember his continually and his onely verily so much as we take to our selves and lift up our selves so much we detract from and are unthankful unto him no part of his grace is or was due desert to any of us for then it should not have been grace but debt to us what ever we have done that 's good we are beholding to him for it for he first prevented us inabled us and incited us thereunto and yet what we have so done deserved not in any way what he hath done for and to us you have heard him but can you glory in your selves for it his Word prevented you or else you had not heard his Word drew forth attention or else it had been otherwise with you and alas how much have ye refused to hear him in and yet what ye have heard from him he hath made effectual to your believing what praise is due to a Begger from a Prince for hearing him direct him to some large treasure what thanks rather is due to that Prince from such a begger for speaking such things to him and how much more for bringing him to what he by speaking of to him perswaded him to look after and accept of from him Our hearing of the Word as it hath been defective in us so had it been never so perfect could be no meriting cause of Gods inriching or saving of us All our whole inheritance and portion is of him and his free grace and so is the bringing and intitling to it let the praise thereof then be wholly given to him and in so doing we shall walke in lowliness of minde as we are exhorted Ephe. 4.1 and not proudly lift up our selves as having some worth of our own in us to commend us by before him 2. Love the Lord ye Saints Psal 31.23 for what now doth the Lord our God require of us but to love and cleave to him for his love to us and this is a genuine expression of real thankfulness and comprehends in it all expressions of 〈◊〉 and produces all that 's returnable to God by us My Son give me thy heart Pro. 23.26 saith he thy heart that is thy love affection delight He that loves another gives him so much of his â—eart as he hath real love to
as well writ earnestly against them as they have exhorted us to contend earnestly with them Jude 3 11,12,13 And yet thou that callest thy self a Saint dost rather bless them and walk with them as brethren But thou wilt say But are we as infallible as the Apostles can we be so sure what is error as they To this I answer That its true we have not so full a dispensation of Spirit from Christ to us as they had that were to lay the foundation they had greater work to do and their talents were proportioned to their work but yet through their infallible doctrine and by the good Spirit of God given us Rom. 8.9 or else we are not Saints or Christs peculiar people we may certainly and infallibly know the foundamental and essential Truths and Principles of Christian Religion which none can be ignorant of and yet be good Christians The infallibility and certainty in Christ and his Apostles which thou pleadest is an argument against unity with all that thou pleadest for for they having been infallibly guided that that is cross to their infallible doctrine is thereby detected to be false and fallible and thou canst not be one with them and yet not dislike and shun that that is contrary to them Sure if we know and love God we shall have some discerning and derestation of such doctrines as blaspheme or dishonor God and beware of those that bring them If we be Christs sheep we have some discerning of his voice from the voice of strangers John 10.5 so much as may render their voice a strange voice to us and such as is not to be approved of us If a man shall come and tell us there was never any such man as Jesus Christ or that if there was he was onely a type and figure of the true Christ in us and not the very Saviour that he rose not nor ascended nor shall come again in glory that he is not the Mediator between God and us that our dead bodies shall not arise that the Scriptures are not to be heeded in their sayings and yet we cannot tell whether these men say truth or not we are plainly blinded and are not sheep of Christ if we cannot discern these voices to be the voices of a stranger Those infallible Writings of the Prophets and Apostles as they tell us that there are and shall be false Prophets and Antichrists VVolves in sheeps clothing deniers of the Lord that bought them and such as bring in heresies of destruction And 2. That such persons and their Doctrines ought not to be heeded and listened to but avoided by us not received to house or bid God speed but held as execrable and accursed 2 Joh. 10,11 Gal. 8.9 Yea 3. That such we are to contend against with earnestness Jude 3. reprove them stop their mouths give warning of them to others that they may not be snared by them Tit. 1.9.11 So they tell us further 4. That real believers have received an holy Unction by which to discern them 1 Joh. 2.20,27 and so have ability of discerning them and indeed that 's intimated too in their precepts and counsels given us to try and avoid them which otherwise were in vain if they were beyond our discerning Nay 5. They have also notably fore described them foretelling us that they would say they are Christ and deceive many Matth. 24.5 that they deny Jesus to be the Christ 1 Joh. 2.22 make a cipher of him call him execrable 1 Cor. 12. deny the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2.1 confess him not come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4.3 Will mock at the promise of his coming 2 Pet. 3.4 pretending that there neither is nor shall be any alteration no other coming but that that is and alwayes hath been to all the Prophets and Patriarks in all times deny the resurrection of the body 1 Cor. 15. and say that the resurrection is now made or is already past 2 Tim. 2.18 hear not the Apostles in their doctrines and sayings 1 Joh. 4.6 Speak high swelling words of vanitie promising men liberty while themselves are servants of corruption 2 Pet. 2.18.19 exalt themselves above all that is called God or that is worâ—…ipped 2 Thes 2.4 above Magistrates and Governors if not suitable to their humors yea against Jesus Christ and above him and God in him unthroning him and despising his Ordinances as light and foolish things lawless men that worship not God pray not to him nor call upon him yea in a word by their fruits we may know them Matth. 7.16 for they lead from Jesus Christ the onely begotten of God in whom onely we may meet with salvation either to rest in their own works joyned with or preferred before Christ or else to looseness in principles and practises to walk after their own ungodly lusts self-lovers covetous boasters of their abilities knowledge attainments proud so as to lift up themselves as is aforesaid blasphemers that is speakers evil of Gods Wayes Temple Ordinances and them that worship therein disobedient to parents either natural or spiritual in Christ unthankful to God especially for his love in Christ and for his appointments for their good unholy not living to God and Christ not calling upon him giving thanks to him c. without natural affection to their own relations truce-breakers that keep not Covenants or ingagements to God or men false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of them that are good 2 Tim. 3.1.2,3,4 c. A marvellous thing it is that a man should be a Saint and yet not know the essentials of that Word that sanctifies him should be begotten by the Gospel and yet know not that Gospel by which God hath begot him so as to discern it from other doctrines that God hath writ to us by his servants so plainly of these things and we have the benefit and help of those gifts given by Christ to them that we might be seâ—led and not tossed to and fro like children and yet we know not who say right and who say wrong sure we know nothing then and so know not what charity is or what love we should walk in and toward whom if we know not the Gospel in its first and bottom doctrines cannot discern whether men preach with or besides that doctrine taught or recorded by the Apostles when we hear them speak they never so fully for or against it we have lost our eyes sure and understanding Obj. But must we not do to them as we would they should do to us though we do discern them must we not still love them Answ I answer yes them that are not given over to destraction them that we see not to have sinned to death and to have trampled under foot the Son of God counting the blond of the Covenant after it hath been sanctifying them an unholy or common thing and have done despire to the Spirit of Grace which things as they may be discerned by us so are we
2.2 God the Father and Christ as also the distinct applications of those words Begetting and Begotten Sending and being Sent with divers others argue the sending forth of Christ as the begetting him is always attributed to the Father the Father sent the Son the Saviour of the world and God have his only begotten Son it s never said nor were it proper to say the Father sent himself or the Son sent himself much less that God sent the Father or the like where there is distinction of sending and being sent begetting and being begotten there is more then difference in denomination for though the same may be denominated in divers respects Father and Son and Husband and Master as we said before yet it s improper to say that the Father begat the Son speaking but of the same in divers respects both Father and Son or that the Father sent the Master or Son when he that is all these in divers respects comes himself being sent of none other then himself Beside its never said the Father was made flesh or the Father suffered for our sins or delivered up himself for our offences but it s often said the Father made his Son an offering for our sins God delivered up Christ for our offences raised him exalted him c. which argues plainly that there is more then a nominal distinction between them as also that Christ is said not to have thought it robbery to be equal with God Now where there is equality there is distinction too for its improper to say of the same indistinct thing that its equal to its self yea Christ himself though he saith his Father and he are one John 10.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnum one Essence or thing not Vnus one personal subsistence or one in way of subsisting yet he speaks of himself and Father as of two witnesses I am one that bear witness of my self and my Father that sent me beareth witness of me John 8.18 And to say no more its evident in this that the word was made flesh and so is become man too There is one God and one Mediatour of God and men the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 And God will judge the world by that man whom he hath appointed Acts 17.31 But the Father is never affirmed to be man nor could Christ be Mediatour of God and man if not in something distinct from either as well as in something one with either And so for the Spirit it is clearly in that of Mat. 3. and the other places of Isaiah before mentioned distinguished from both Father and Son and is further proved to be so by that of our Saviour John 14.16,17 I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter the Spirit of Truth where all the three are again mentioned and clear distinctions between each of them from other hinted I will pray the Father there 's Father and Son between whom were there no Distinction that phrase were very improper If the Son be the Father he should rather only have said I will send another Comforter then I will pray the Father and he shall send c. and there is the Spirit distinct from both both from him that said he would pray and him to whom he would pray from the Father for he is to send him and is prayed to for him from the Son who prays the Father to send him for he expresly cals him another Comforter that is another from or besides himself that was then with them The Spirit of Truth that is of the Son for the Son is the Truth and is to be glorified by him as in Chap. 16.13,14 When the Spirit is come he shall not speak of himself but he shall glorifie me How shall not he speak of himself it he be Christ of whom he should speak and whom he should glorifie where note by the way that the Spirit that speaks of himself and not of Christ leading the soul to understand the things of Christ and to glorifie him is not â—he true and right Spirit sent forth by Christ â—ut not to inlarge further in this matter what â—…ore plain then that commission â—o Disciple all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or all the Gentiles Baptizing them into the â—ame of the Father and of the Son â—all of the holy Ghost The Name not names â—nd denominations but one Name Power Auâ—ority and Jurisdiction of Father Son and Spiâ—it now what needs this Distinct repeating of â—ather Son and holy Ghost if no distinction â—nt in denomination be put between them â—how can it be said as in 1 John 5.7 that they â—re three witnesses There are three that bear â—itness in heaven the Father the Word and the â—oly Ghost and these three are one Where the â—ord again is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if they were one in way â—f subsisting or personality as they use to â—eak but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hi tres â—mum sunt these three are one thing one being 〈◊〉 Essence one God but yet three in regard of â—ersonality so as the notes of persons I and â—hou and He may distinctly and frequently â—re in Scripture applyed to them I shall not â—ention that in Rev. 1.4,5 with divers other â—laces to this busines but shall a little further â—pen my conceptions about this so high a busiâ—…ess And so I understand that the Father is the fountain of the Deity as it is in the Son but is not the Son but hath begotten him and giveâ— to him to have life in himself and hath spoken by him and so the Godhead is in the Father aâ— the fountain of Divine power The Son is the Word the essential eternal Word of the Father and so God as flowing from and manifesting the Father who in himself and otherwise then by the Son or Word is not to be known oâ— seen into The divine out-streaming wisdome by whom the Father that fountain of Divine glory put forth his Divine vertue and Created all things and upholds them and hath revealed and declared himself to men who also in due time for the sake of man turned away and fallen from him was Incarnate by the power of God and incorporated in the seed of David according to the flesh and so became also a man and in the nature of man by the heavenly flowing forth of his Divine doctrine and by the things undergon by and accomplished in him he opened represented and declared to us the Father and so the Son is as the flowing or out speaking of the Father and the Spirit is the same divine being but as in both and proceeding from both the power vertue and force that is in and worketh or acteth forth it self from both from the fountain by the stream so as that the Father worketh all things through the Son by the Spirit We may somewhat illustrate it by this comparison as I humbly conâ—eive of it .. The Light that